The NC State softball team beat Charleston Southern 8-2 in eight innings on Friday afternoon in the last of its six-game Charleston, SC, road trip.
After blowing a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Wolfpack (16-8) exploded for three home runs in a six-run eighth inning to beat the Buccaneers (6-22) and secure a 5-1 record in its Charleston trip.
NC State got on the board first in the top of the third inning, when sophomore left fielder Sam Russ (1 for 5, RBI) singled home freshman catcher Kelli Wagner (2 for 4, run) to put the Pack up 1-0.
The Wolfpack doubled its lead in the top of the sixth inning with senior second baseman Natalie Jones (1 for 4, RBI) ripping a two-out double to center field, scoring sophomore pinch-runner Chandley Garner and extending the Pack’s lead to 2-0.
Dominant through the first six innings, junior right-hander Devin Wallace (7-5, 1.55 ERA) faltered in the bottom of the seventh inning, surrendering a two-run home run to right field after the Buccaneers’ first batter of the inning reached on a fielding error by junior first baseman Skylar Johnston. Wallace buckled down after, getting out of the inning still tied at 2-2.
Junior right fielder Brigette Nordberg (2 for 5, two RBIs) led off the top of the eighth inning with an infield single to third base. On the very next pitch, Johnston (2 for 5, two RBIs, run) smashed a home run to right field, scoring Nordberg. The next batter, sophomore third baseman Logan Morris (2 for 4, RBI, run), followed suit with a home run of her own, turning on a fastball and sending it over the left field fence for a 5-2 lead.
The Pack wasn’t done yet; two batters later, redshirt junior designated player Randi Farricker (2 for 4, RBI, run) homered to right field to add an insurance run to the Wolfpack’s total. Coming back around after leading off the inning, Nordberg reached on another infield single, this time scoring freshman shortstop April Visser (1 for 2, run) and junior center fielder Angie Rizzi (1 for 3, run, BB), pushing NC State’s lead to 8-2.
Wallace finished the game with seven innings pitched, allowing just one earned run on four hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Senior right-hander Brittany Nimmo (1-0, 9.00 ERA) came in to pitch in the bottom of the eighth, walking one batter and striking out two to close out the game.
After dropping four straight in the middle of February the Wolfpack has now won four games in a row and 13 of its last 15.
NC State will return to action on Friday at 6 p.m. at Dail Softball Stadium when it hosts Virginia Tech to open up ACC play.
